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Within the framework of a long-term experiment, established in 1955, we evaluated the development and effects of weather and mineral fertilization (Control, NPK1, NPK2, NPK3, NPK4) on the yield and stability of winter wheat following alfalfa. In total, 19 seasons were analysed. The weather changed considerably at the experimental site. Significant increases in minimal, mean, and maximal temperatures were dated to the period 1987–1988, while precipitation remained the same to this day (insignificantly increasing trend by 0.5 mm per annum). Rising temperatures in November, May, and July positively affected wheat grain yield, especially in treatments with higher N doses. No relationship between yield and precipitation was recorded. Highest inter-annual yield variability was recorded in Control and NPK4 treatments. Although minerally fertilized treatments provided slightly higher yields, the difference between Control and NPK treatments was insignificant. According to the linear-plateau response model, the recommended dose of 44 kg ha−1 N corresponds with yield of 7.4 t ha−1, while Control provides an average yield of 6.8 t ha−1. The application of higher doses did not lead to significant grain yield increase. Alfalfa as a preceding crop reduces the need of N fertilization and contributes to sustainable conventional agriculture, however, its share in crop rotations is decreasing both in the Czech Republic and in Europe.

Key message: Alfalfa has the ability to degrade TNT. TNT exposure caused root disruption of mineral nutrient metabolism. The exposure of TNT imbalanced basal cell energy metabolism. The mechanism of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) toxicity effects was analyzed in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) seedlings by examining the mineral nutrition and secondary metabolism of the plant roots. Exposure to 25–100 mg·L−1 TNT in a hydroponic solution for 72 h resulted in a TNT absorption rate of 26.8–63.0%. The contents of S, K, and B in root mineral nutrition metabolism increased significantly by 1.70–5.46 times, 1.38–4.01 times, and 1.40–4.03 times, respectively, after TNT exposure. Non-targeted metabolomics analysis of the roots identified 189 significantly upregulated metabolites and 420 significantly downregulated metabolites. The altered metabolites were primarily lipids and lipid-like molecules, and the most significant enrichment pathways were alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism. TNT itself was transformed in the root system into several intermediate products, including 4-hydroxylamino-2,6-dinitrotoluene, 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene, 2-hydroxylamino-4,6-dinitrotoluene, 2,4',6,6'-tetranitro-2',4-azoxytoluene, 4,4',6,6'-tetranitro-2,2'-azoxytoluene, and 2,4-dinitrotoluene. Overall, TNT exposure disturbed the mineral metabolism balance, and significantly interfered with basic plant metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) gene family is an important transcription factor family consisting of three subfamilies, NF-YA, NF-YB and NF-YC, which are widely involved in plant growth and development, stress responses and other processes. In this study, we identified 64 members of the NF-Y gene family in the M. sativa L. (Xinjiang Daye) genome, including 11 MsNF-YAs, 33 MsNF-YBs and 20 MsNF-YCs. Analysis of conserved motifs indicated that each unit included unique compounds of motifs, although certain members lost some motifs. Conserved functional domain analysis showed that each subunit contained a specific set of functional domains. Analysis of cis-acting elements in the promoter region of the MsNF-Y genes identified a series of cis-acting elements associated with stress responses. In addition, the transcriptome data and qRT-PCR analysis showed that MsNF-Y genes were significantly induced or downregulated by alkali treatment. The results of this study may help to establish a basis for further cloning and functional studies of NF-Y genes in Medicago sativa and other related legume species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alfalfa is the most important forage legume in our agroecological conditions for feeding cattle. In the area of Jablanica district, alfalfa occupies a considerable place in the total plant production. The restrictive factor in the establishment and short durability of alfalfa stand is the low pH of arable agricultural soil. Within the three-year field trial on Vertisol soil type (pH in KCl 4.9), from 2016 to 2018, alfalfa plot yield has been analyzed with different fertilization variants. The research results indicate that alfalfa provides a significantly higher yield on the plot where amelioration measures were applied, through the application of limestone and manure, with the addition of mineral fertilizer. A barely lower yield was achieved on the calcified and manured plot, while the lowest yield was on the control plot, where a generous amount of mineral fertilizer was added, which is a common practice of agricultural producers in the area of Jablanica district.

The experiment was to explore effect of amino acids on quality evaluation of alfalfa hay. The yield（CL）,nutritional quality and 17 amino acids contents of alfalfa of different varieties（Queen, WL319 HQ and Bara310 SC） were measured and comprehensively analyzed. The results showed that Queen’s hay yield and crude fat content were significantly higher than those of WL319 HQ and Bara310 SC（P<0.05）. The crude protein content and neutral detergent fiber content of WL319 HQ and Bara310 SC were significantly higher than those of Queen（P<0.05）. The isoleucine content of Bara310 SC was significantly higher than that of other varieties（P<0.05）. The content of lysine Queen and Bara310 SC was significantly higher than that of WL319 HQ（P<0.05）. The study indicates that the variety with the best nutritional quality is Bara310 SC, followed by Queen. Amino acids have a significant role as an index for evaluating the quality of alfalfa hay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Silicon (Si) application to crops is a promising way for the deployment of sustainable agriculture. Here, the effects of Si on salt stress tolerance were investigated in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)-rhizobia symbioses. Two Moroccan, Ouad-Lmaleh (OL) and Demnate-201 (Dm), and one European, NS-Mediana-ZMS-V (NS-Med), alfalfa varieties were associated to Ensifer meliloti Rm41 rhizobial strain. One-month-old alfalfa plants were exposed to 120 mM NaCl for five weeks with or without 3 mM of Si. The plants subjected to salt stress showed reduced biomass, chlorophyll (Chl) contents and relative water content (RWC) in comparison to the controls. The alfalfa-rhizobia symbiosis was also impaired under stress as reflected by less root nodulation and lower nitrogen (N) content and nitrogen content index (NCI). Added Si significantly increased plant biomass, nodules number, N content, NCI, Chl contents and RWC under salt stress. Results showed that salt-stressed alfalfa increased malonyldialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and electrolyte leakage (EL). However, Si incorporation in the cultured media reduced oxidative damages under salt-stress particularly in NS-Med variety by 26%, 70% and 70% for MDA, H2O2 and EL respectively. The lower amount of MDA, H2O2 and EL in the Si-treated plants seems to be related to its capacity to modulate superoxide dismutase and polyphenol oxidase activities and increase total polyphenol, flavonoid and carotenoid contents. Besides, compatible osmolytes, such as proline, glycine betaine and soluble sugars were found increased particularly in Si-treated OL plants by 46%, 33% and 26% respectively in comparison to Si-untreated plants. Alfalfa varieties reacted differently to Si treatment. Sodium concentration in alfalfa plants increased under salinity and reduced by Si treatment with an increase in the potassium content. Our findings showed that exogenous Si application could be a promising way to mitigate the toxic effect of salt and could improve alfalfa growth and its rhizobial symbiosis when grown in salt-affected soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study analyzed Medicago sativa L. crops irrigated by TiO2 in the anatase phase and TiO2 doped with Ag, Fe, and Cu ions at 0.1%w synthesized using the sol–gel method (SG) and the sol–gel method coupled with microwave (Mw-SG). The materials were added to the irrigation water at different concentrations (50, 100, and 500 ppm). Stress induction by nanomaterials was observed by measuring stem morphology, chlorophyll index, total phenols and flavonoids, and antioxidant activity through the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazy) radical inhibition assay. The nanomaterial treatments caused statistically significant reductions in parameters such as stem length, leaf size, and chlorophyll index and increases in total phenol content and DPPH inhibition percentage. However, the observed effects did not show clear evidence regarding the type of nanomaterial used, its synthesis methodology, or a concentration-dependent response. By generally grouping the results obtained to the type of dopant used and the synthesis method, the relationship between them was determined employing a two-way ANOVA. It was observed that the dopant factors, synthesis, and interaction were relevant for most treatments. Additionally, the addition of microwaves in the synthesis method resulted in the largest number of treatments with a significant increase in the total content of phenols and the % inhibition compared to the traditional sol–gel synthesis. In contrast, parameters such as stem size and chlorophyll index were affected under different treatments from both synthesis methods.

Medicinal plant intercropping is a new intercropping method. However, as a new intercropping model, the influence of intercropping of alfalfa on microorganisms has not been clarified clearly. In this study, the composition and diversity of microbial communities in alfalfa intercropping were studied, and the differences of bacterial and fungal communities and their relationships with environmental factors are discussed. Intercropping significantly decreased soil pH and significantly increased soil total phosphorus (TP) content, but did not increase soil total carbon (TC) and total nitrogen (TN). Intercropping can increase the relative abundance of Actinobacteria and reduce the relative abundance of Proteobacteria in soil. The relative abundance and diversity of bacteria were significantly correlated with soil pH and TP, while the diversity of fungi was mainly correlated with TC, TN and soil ecological stoichiometry. The bacterial phylum was mainly related to pH and TP, while the fungal phylum was related to TC, TN, C: P and N: P. The present study revealed the stoichiometry of soil CNP and microbial community characteristics of mulberry-alfalfa intercropping soil, clarified the relationship between soil stoichiometry and microbial community composition and diversity, and provided a theoretical basis for the systematic management of mulberry-alfalfa intercropping in northwest Liaoning.

Soil alkalization severely limits plant growth and development, however, the mechanisms of alkaline response in plants remain largely unknown. In this study, we performed physiological and transcriptomic analyses using two alfalfa cultivars (Medicago sativa L.) with different sensitivities to alkaline conditions. The chlorophyll content and shoot fresh mass drastically declined in the alkaline-sensitive cultivar Algonquin (AG) following alkaline treatment (0–25 mM Na2CO3 solution), while the alkaline-tolerant cultivar Gongnong NO.1 (GN) maintained relatively stable growth and chlorophyll content. Compared with AG, GN had higher contents of Ca2+ and Mg2+; the ratios of Ca2+ and Mg2+ to Na+, proline and soluble sugar, as well as higher enzyme activities of peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) under the alkaline conditions. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis identified three categories of alkaline-responsive differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the two cultivars: 48 genes commonly induced in both the cultivars (CAR), 574 genes from the tolerant cultivar (TAR), and 493 genes from the sensitive cultivar (SAR). Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses showed that CAR genes were mostly involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, lipid metabolism, and DNA replication and repair; TAR genes were significantly enriched in metabolic pathways, such as biosynthesis of amino acids and secondary metabolites including flavonoids, and the MAPK signaling pathway; SAR genes were specifically enriched in vitamin B6 metabolism. Taken together, the results identified candidate pathways associated with genetic variation in response to alkaline stress, providing novel insights into the mechanisms underlying alkaline tolerance in alfalfa.

Endogenous viral elements (EVEs) have been for the most part described in animals and to a less extent in plants. The endogenization was proposed to contribute toward evolution of living organisms via horizontal gene transfer of novel genetic material and resultant genetic diversity. During the last two decades, several full-length and fragmented EVEs of pararetroviral and non-retroviral nature have been identified in different plant genomes, both monocots and eudicots. Prior to this work, no EVEs have been reported in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), the most cultivated forage legume in the world. In this study, taking advantage of the most recent developments in the field of alfalfa research, we have assessed alfalfa genome on the presence of viral-related sequences. Our analysis revealed segmented EVEs resembling two dsDNA reverse-transcribing virus species: Soybean chlorotic mottle virus (family Caulimoviridae, genus Soymovirus) and Figwort mosaic virus (family Caulimoviridae, genus Caulimovirus). The EVEs appear to be stable constituents of the host genome and in that capacity could potentially acquire functional roles in alfalfa's development and response to environmental stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants generally behave in different response mechanisms under stress. This study aims to reveal the effects of biochar on photosynthesis and antioxidant system of ryegrass and alfalfa at the early stage of salt-alkali stress. Four treatments were conducted in the pot experiment: saline-alkali stress treatment (C0, 150 mmol/L equal mol NaCl, Na2CO3, NaHCO3 mixed saline solution), saline-alkali stress +1% biochar (C1), saline-alkali stress +3% biochar (C2), saline-alkali stress +5% biochar (C3), and set blank control (CK) without additives. Conventional cultivation was also carried out before the experiment, and then a stress test was conducted 40 d later. The stress treatment lasted for a total of 14 d, where 100 mL mixed saline solution was added to C0, C1, C2, and C3 treatments at one time, and 100 mL deionized water was added to CK treatment. Subsequently, the response of ryegrass and alfalfa was determined on the 14th day of the experiment, including growth indices, photosynthetic characteristics, malondialdehyde content, and antioxidant enzyme activities under various levels of biochar addition. The results showed as follows: 1) 14 d salt-alkali treatment dominated the growth of ryegrass and alfalfa. Specifically, there was a significant decrease in biomass accumulation, net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, and intercellular CO2 concentration. But there was no significant effect on the chlorophyll content and root length. Furthermore, the content of malondialdehyde increased significantly, indicating the antioxidant system responded positively. Similarly, the activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase increased to alleviate the saline-alkali stress on plants. 2) The addition of biochar effectively improved the stress resistance of perennial ryegrass and alfalfa, thereby inducing a positive response in the antioxidant system. As such, the salinity-alkalinity stress was effectively relieved, particularly from the osmotic stress. The malondialdehyde content decreased obviously, whereas the alfalfa superoxide dismutase increased significantly, indicating that the perennial ryegrass antioxidant system was given a priority with the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide enzyme. The biomass, plant height, and root length of ryegrass and alfalfa increased by 48.50%-82.34%, 31.19%--44.16%, and 17.15%-48.09%, respectively, under 3% biochar treatment, compared with that under the salt-alkali stress. Additionally, the stomatal conductance and transpiration rate increased by 118.69%-358.99%, and 98.66%-526.53%, and the chlorophyll content and net photosynthetic rate increased by 7.97% and 519.09%, respectively. 3) The antioxidant enzyme activities and malondialdehyde content of ryegrass and alfalfa remained stable or decreased with the increase of biochar amount under the short-term salt-alkali stress. A trend was also found that the promoting at a low supplemental level and inhibiting at a high supplemental level for the growth indexes and photosynthetic characteristics. Consequently, there was a significant effect of salinity-alkalinity stress on the growth of perennial ryegrass and alfalfa, where a positive response was found at the beginning of stress. Correspondingly, an optimal addition of biochar can be expected to improve the stress resistance of perennial ryegrass and alfalfa, while the positive reaction of the oxidation system can effectively relieve the short-term salinity-alkalinity stress. The best effect was also achieved in the 3% biochar application. The findings can provide a sound reference for the scientific application of biochar to promote crop growth and yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abscisic acid (ABA) is an important phytohormone involved in plant growth, plant development, and the protection of plants against abiotic stresses. PYL/RCAR (pyrabactin resistance/pyr1-like/regulatory components of ABA receptor) is the receptor protein of ABA and the core component of the ABA signal transduction network. The PYL gene family has been identified and analyzed in many species, however, there is no report about the research on the whole genome-wide identification of the alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) PYL gene family. Therefore, to explore the function of alfalfa PYL genes, 39 MsPYL genes were identified by analyzing the recently published genome of alfalfa. Using bioinformatics methods, we systematically analyzed the chromosome location, protein physicochemical properties, evolutionary relationship, conserved motifs, and response to low-temperature stress of the MsPYL family of alfalfa. The results showed that 39 alfalfa MsPYL genes were distributed on 24 chromosomes, and the analysis of gene duplication events showed that fragment duplication was predominant duplication in alfalfa MsPYL family gene expansion. The phylogenetic tree of MsPYL protein of alfalfa and the phylogenetic tree of PYL genes of 3 species show that the MsPYL gene family can be divided into 3 subfamilies, and the structures of the same subfamilies are relatively similar. The 39 MsPYL gene family members of alfalfa contain 10 Motifs. Motif1, Motif2, Motif3, and Motif5 are the conserved motifs shared by these genes; cis-regulatory elements in promoter regions indicate that regulatory elements related to transcription, cell cycle, development, hormone, and stress response are abundantly present in the MsPYL promoter sequences; Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR analysis showed that the expression of MsPYL genes can be induced by low-temperature treatment. This study provides a reference for further exploring the structural and functional characterization of the alfalfa PYL gene family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change (rainfall events and global warming) affects the survival of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in winter. Appropriate water management can quickly reduce the mortality of alfalfa during winter. To determine how changes in water affect the cold resistance of alfalfa, we explored the root system traits under different rainfall events and the effects on cold resistance in three alfalfa cultivars. These were exposed to three simulated rainfall events (SRE) × two phases in a randomized complete block design with six replications. The three cultivars were WL168, WL353 and WL440, and the three SRE were irrigation once every second day (D2), every four days (D4) and every eight days (D8). There were two phases: before cold acclimation and after cold acclimation. Our results demonstrated that a period of exposure to low temperature was required for alfalfa to achieve maximum cold resistance. The root system tended toward herringbone branching under D8, compared with D2 and D4, and demonstrated greater root biomass, crown diameter, root volume, average link length and topological index. Nevertheless, D8 had less lateral root length, root surface area, specific root length, root forks and fractal dimensions. Greater root biomass and topological index were beneficial to cold resistance in alfalfa, while more lateral roots and root forks inhibited its ability to survive winter. Alfalfa roots had higher proline, soluble sugar and starch content in D8 than in D2 and D4. In contrast, there was lower malondialdehyde in D8, indicating that alfalfa had better cold resistance following a longer irrigation interval before winter. After examining root biomass, root system traits and physiological indexes we concluded that WL168 exhibited stronger cold resistance. Our results contribute to greater understanding of root and cold stress, consequently providing references for selection of cultivars and field water management to improve cold resistance of alfalfa in the context of changes in rainfall patterns.

With the random discharging of industrial and agricultural wastewater, a large amount of cadmium (Cd) has accumulated in the soil, which seriously affects the growth of crops and people’s food safety. In this study, alfalfa was used as the material for studying the effects of the inoculation of Piriformospora indica (P. indica) on photosynthesis, osmoregulatory substances, and antioxidant enzymes of alfalfa seedlings at different Cd concentrations (0, 5, 10, 30, 50, and 100 mg/L) through hydroponic experiments. The results showed that with the increase in Cd concentration, the chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate (Tr), and stomatal conductance (Gs) of alfalfa all decreased gradually, while the intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) decreased at first and then increased. However, compared with non-inoculated control plants, the inoculation of P. indica improved the photosynthesis (41.97%) of alfalfa under Cd stress, increased the chlorophyll content (43.70%), and significantly increased the contents of proline (29.86%), soluble proteins (38.54%), and antioxidant enzyme activities. It was concluded that P. indica alleviates the negative effects of Cd on alfalfa plants to some extent. This is because P. indica can resist Cd stress and improve plant growth in cadmium-contaminated agricultural soil by alleviating membrane peroxidation damage, regulating osmotic regulatory substances, and enhancing enzyme activity to improve the antioxidant defense system. Thus, P. indica can be considered a biological fertilizer for improving plant growth and physiology in soils contaminated with cadmium.

Stems are more important to forage quality than leaves in alfalfa. To understand lignin formation at different stages in alfalfa, lignin distribution, anatomical characteristics and transcriptome profile were employed using two alfalfa cultivars. The results showed that the in vitro true digestibility (IVTD) of stems in WL168 was significantly higher than that of Zhungeer, along with the significantly lower neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and lignin contents. In addition, Zhungeer exhibited increased staining of the xylem areas in the stems of different developmental stages compared to WL168. Interestingly, the stems of WL168 appeared intracellular space from the stage 3, while Zhungeer did not. The comparative transcriptome analysis showed that a total of 1993 genes were differentially expressed in the stem between the cultivars, with a higher number of expressed genes in the stage 4. Of the differentially expressed genes, starch and sucrose metabolism as well as phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathways were the most significantly enriched pathways. Furthermore, expression of genes involved in lignin biosynthesis such as PAL, 4CL, HCT, CAD, COMT and POD coincides with the anatomic characteristics and lignin accumulation. These results may help elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of lignin biosynthesis and improve forage quality in alfalfa.

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is one of the most relevant forage crops due to its importance for livestock. Timely harvesting is critical to secure adequate forage quality. However, farmers face challenges not only to decide the optimal harvesting time but to predict the optimum levels for both forage production and quality. Fortunately, remote sensing technologies can significantly contribute to obtaining production and quality insights, providing scalability, and supporting complex farming decision-making. Therefore, we aim to develop a systematic review of the current scientific literature to identify the current status of research in remote sensing for alfalfa and to evaluate new perspectives for enhancing prediction of both biomass and quality (herein defined as crude protein and fibers) for alfalfa. Twelve papers were included in the database from a total of 198 studies included in the initial screening process. The main findings were (i) more than two-thirds of the studies focused on predicting biomass; (ii) half of the studies used terrestrial platforms, with only 33% using drones and 17% using satellite for remote sensing; (iii) no studies have used satellites assessed alfalfa quality traits; (iv) improved biomass and quality estimations were obtained when remote sensing data was combined with environmental information; (v) due to a direct relationship between biomass and quality, modeling them algorithmically improves the accuracy of estimation as well; (vi) from spectral wavelengths, dry biomass was better estimated in regions near 398, 551, 670, 730, 780, 865, and 1077 nm, wet biomass in regions near 478, 631, 670, 730, 780, 834, 933, 1034, and 1538 nm, and quality traits identified with narrow and very specific wavelengths (e.g., 398, 461, 551, 667, 712, and 1077 nm). Our findings might serve as a foundation to guide further research and the development of handheld sensors for assessing alfalfa biomass and quality.

ABI3 (ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE 3) is a family of B3 transcription factors essential for regulating the abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathway involved in various biological processes and abiotic stress. Our previous studies demonstrated that ectopic expression of ScABI3 from a desiccation-tolerant moss (Syntrichia caninervis) into Arabidopsis thaliana enhanced abiotic stress tolerance. However, studies on plant transformation using the ABI3 gene are limited and other possible functions of ScABI3 are not known. Here, we transformed the ScABI3 into alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and analyzed the effects on phenotype, photosynthetic efficiency, and nutritional quality. The results showed that the endogenous ABA content of the transgenic plants was significantly higher than WT, and the leaf-stem ratio, leaf area, and branch number increased with ScABI3 overexpression in alfalfa. Further analysis of the gas exchange parameters showed that the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), transpiration rate (Tr), and water-use efficiency (WUE) of the transgenic alfalfa were significantly higher than WT; meanwhile, the protein content of the transgenic lines was higher than the WT, but the crude fat content was lower. Thus, these findings suggest that ScABI3 can be used as a potential candidate gene to manipulate alfalfa’s growth and nutritional quality. This study will provide a theoretical basis for breeding alfalfa varieties and assist in forage production and animal husbandry in the future.

Selection strategies for increased salt tolerance in Medicago sativa must involve several growth stages, with the germination stage as a particularly important stage. At this stage, M. sativa is known to be more sensitive to salt than later growth stages. Cultivars differ significantly in their capacity to germinate under saline conditions. For this consideration and in order to analyze the response to salinity, initial screening at the germination stage for two varieties of M. sativa was undertaken. Seeds were germinated in Petri dishes under control treatment (0 mM NaCl) and four concentrations of NaCl (100, 150, 200 and 250 mM). Results from ANOVA showed that variation in root length (RL), fresh root weight (RFW) and shoot fresh weight (SFW) was explained by variety effect. The variation in hypocotyl length, (HL) SFW and RL was explained by the interaction of variety x treatment. Under salt stress, there was a major reduction (46, 66%) in final germination rate (GR) when seeds were geminated in 250 mM NaCl. The RL and HL were affected by salt stress and their respective values were reduced by more than 40% in 200 mM NaCl. The Californian variety was lesser affected by salt stress for RL and RFW while the local variety from El Hemma showed the lowest reduction for SFW. Further work is needed to asses these effects in later growth stages and in field conditions under salt stress.

The mass of leaves and the chlorophyll and selenium content of alfalfa can be increased by the foliar spraying of selenite. To better understand the relationship between changes in the expression of specific proteins and the various metabolic and regulatory pathways affected by selenium treatment, labeling with Tandem Mass Tags (TMT) was used as a proteomics technique to compare control leaves with those enriched with Se. A total of 8,411 proteins were identified, the expression levels of 195 of which were significantly modified, 67 significantly up-regulated and 128 significantly down-regulated. Using gene functional classification and metabolic pathway annotation, selenium treatment was found to have a significant impact on metabolic processes. The energy and substances produced by the metabolic processes of a variety of carbohydrates, lipids, and amino acids, and the metabolism of carbon may be responsible for increasing the yield of alfalfa leaves. Administration of selenium substantially influenced Se-responsive proteins, including ABC transporter G family member 36, Probable glutathione S-transferase and cysteine tRNA ligase. Selenium treatment may also enhance photosynthesis and the defense response of cells. Furthermore, protein ubiquitination also played an important role in the selenium response of alfalfa leaves. In summary, a basic analysis of the selenium response pathway in alfalfa leaves at the proteomics level was conducted, which may assist in a more detailed elucidation of selenium enrichment in alfalfa in the future. • Selenium treatment can promote the photosynthesis of alfalfa. • Application of selenium has a great influence on Se responsive protein. • Selenium-enriched alfalfa was generated with enhanced yield and selenium content.. • The metabolic process is greatly affected by selenium treatment. • The protein ubiquitination could also play important roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L., Medicago varia Mart., Medicago falcata L.) is a perennial leguminous plant well-known as the queen of forages cultivated all over the world. The general biology and morphology of the plant has been described in detail. The typical inflorescence of the plant is raceme. Due to the multistep inbreeding process in this cross-pollinated species, different mutant forms have been found in inbred progenies. They include long racemes, panicle-like racemes (with fertile and sterile flowers), complicated branched racemes, and fasciated inflorescences. The fasciation trait was discovered first in long racemes and then it was introduced into every mutant inflorescence type by hand pollination. By means of pair hybridization, transitional forms of some mutants were isolated and the new mutant forms combined two or three mutant genes. New gene names are proposed for new duplex and triplex mutant types: lpfas, pi1lpfas, brilpfas. Medicago truncatula is a conventional model species for legume genome research. M. truncatula and alfalfa share highly conserved nucleotide sequences and exhibit nearly perfect synteny between the two genomes. The knowledge about inflorescence development in model M. truncatula plants adds to understanding the genetic nature of mutant inflorescence development in alfalfa; therefore, we compiled the information on the genetic regulation of inflorescence development in M. truncatula. The M. truncatula mutant mtpim has a complicated inflorescence structure resembling panicle-like inflorescence in alfalfa. Presently, it is known that the inflorescence architecture in M. truncatula is controlled by spatiotemporal expression of MtTFL1, MtFULc, MtAP1, and SGL1 through reciprocal repression. Some mutants isolated in M. truncatula resemble alfalfa mutants in phenotype. The mutant generated by retrotransposon insertion mutagenesis and named sgl1-1 has a cauliflower-like phenotype looking just like the cauliflower mutant in alfalfa. New data concerning genes regulating inflorescence development in model legumes approach us to understanding the phenomenon of inflorescence mutations in alfalfa. The information of inflorescence mutants in nonmodel crops may augment our knowledge of plant development and help crop improvement.

Мета. Одержати високосамофертильні зразки люцерни посівної з мінімальною дією інбредної депресії на насіннєву продуктивність для використання в селекційному процесі. Методи. Польовий, лабораторний, математично-статис­тичний. Результати. Розширення площ під посівами цінної високобілкової багаторічної культури люцерни посівної обмежується нестачею насіння через низьку врожайність її сучасних сортів. В умовах недостатньої чисельності комах-запилювачів перехреснозапильні сорти мають низьку насіннєву продуктивність. Підвищену врожайність насіння в таких умовах можуть мати самофертильні сорти, рослини яких здатні формувати насіння від самозапилення. Унаслідок вивчення 58 зразків селекційного розсадника люцерни, серед яких є інбредні лінії 8–10-го поколінь та гібриди, установлено високий рівень їх самофертильності. Фертильність пилку більшості зразків була в межах від 78,6 до 96,5% і тільки у восьми з них відзначено її зниження до 63,6–78,0%. Добори за компонентами насіннєвої продуктивності дали змогу виділити зразки з кількістю квіток у суцвітті від 22,0 до 36,2 шт. (сорт-стандарт ‘Ярославна’ – 26,9 шт.); з кількістю бобів, які зав’язалися за вільного запилення, – від 13,0 до 21,0 шт. (сорт-стандарт – 16,5 шт.). Насіннєва продуктивність зразків змінювалася від 10,17 до 35,63 г/м2, у сорту-стандарту – 22,03 г/м2. Висновки. Рівень самофертильності досліджених зразків селекційного розсадника люцерни був досить високим – від 32,6 до 68,1%. Цей селекційний матеріал було одержано від створених раніше автогамних форм і відібрано за показником мінімальної дії інбредної депресії на врожайність насіння. Весь одержаний селекційний матеріал, серед якого є гібриди між високосамофертильними зразками та інбредні лінії, надалі буде використано в селекційному процесі для створення сортів люцерни з високою насіннєвою продуктивністю.

Knowing the molecular mechanism of male sterility in alfalfa is important to utilize the heterosis more effectively. However, the molecular mechanisms of male sterility in alfalfa are still unclear. In this study, the bulked segregant analysis (BSA) and bulked segregant RNA-seq (BSR) were performed with F2 separation progeny to study the molecular mechanism of male sterility in alfalfa. The BSA-seq analysis was located in a candidate region on chromosome 5 containing 626 candidate genes which were associated with male sterility in alfalfa, while the BSR-seq analysis filtered seven candidate DEGs related to male sterility, and these candidate genes including EF-Tu, β-GAL, CESA, PHGDH, and JMT. The conjunctive analyses of BSR and BSA methods revealed that the genes of Msβ-GAL and MsJMT are the common detected candidate genes involved in male sterility in alfalfa. Our research provides a theory basis for further study of the molecular mechanism of male sterility in alfalfa and significant information for the genetic breeding of Medicago sativa.

Drought stress is one of the major constraints that decreases global crop productivity. Alfalfa, planted mainly in arid and semi-arid areas, is of crucial importance in sustaining the agricultural system. The family 1 UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGT) is indispensable because it takes part in the regulation of plant growth and stress resistance. However, a comprehensive insight into the participation of the UGT family in adaptation of alfalfa to drought environments is lacking. In the present study, a genome-wide analysis and profiling of the UGT in alfalfa were carried out. A total of 409 UGT genes in alfalfa (MsUGT) were identified and they are clustered into 13 groups. The expression pattern of MsUGT genes were analyzed by RNA-seq data in six tissues and under different stresses. The quantitative real-time PCR verification genes suggested the distinct role of the MsUGT genes under different drought stresses and abscisic acid (ABA) treatment. Furthermore, the function of MsUGT003 and MsUGT024, which were upregulated under drought stress and ABA treatment, were characterized by heterologous expression in yeast. Taken together, this study comprehensively analyzed the UGT gene family in alfalfa for the first time and provided useful information for improving drought tolerance and in molecular breeding of alfalfa.

Land use patterns and vegetation coverage in semi-arid areas of the Loess Plateau have undergone great changes due to the implementation of the “Grain for Green” project. The introduction of legume pasture species, such as alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis L.), is one of the most efficient methods of vegetation restoration and reconstruction in this region. However, there is a need for an effective assessment of the root system distribution and its interaction with soil after long-term introduction. An experiment involving the introduction of alfalfa and sweet clover on abandoned farmlands was initiated in 2003 to assess the long-term effects. After 17 years, root and soil samples at depths of 0–20 and 20–60 cm were collected to characterize the root biomass, root carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P), soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and nitrogen (MBN), soil organic carbon (SOC), and soil N and P. The results showed that the root biomass density of alfalfa in the 0–20 and 20–60 cm layers (63.72 and 12.27 kg m–3, respectively) were significantly higher than for sweet clover (37.43 and 8.97 kg m–3, respectively) and under natural abandonment (38.92 and 9.73 kg m–3, respectively). The SOC, total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), available phosphorus (AP), nitrate-nitrogen (NO3–-N), MBC and MBN in the 0–20 and 20–60 cm layers were higher after alfalfa introduction compared with sweet clover introduction and natural abandonment, although the ammonia-nitrogen (NH4+-N) concentration in the 0–20 cm layer was lower. There were significantly positive correlations between root biomass density and both soil nutrients and microbial biomass, while there was a negative correlation between the soil NH4+-N and root biomass density. These results indicate that alfalfa root growth improved soil organic matter accumulation and nutrient mineralization. The accumulation and mineralization of soil nutrients also guaranteed root and microorganism growth. Therefore, it was concluded that alfalfa introduction will promote soil nutrients immobilization and mineralization and may enable sustainable land use in the semi-arid region of the Loess Plateau, China.

The effects of Bacillus subtilis inoculation on the growth and Cd uptake of alfalfa were evaluated in this research using pot experiments, and the relevant biochemical mechanisms were first investigated by combined microbial diversity and nontarget metabolomics analyses. The results indicated that inoculation with alfalfa significantly decreased the amount of plant malondialdehyde (MDA) and improved the activities of plant antioxidant enzymes and soil nutrient cycling-involved enzymes, thereby promoting biomass by 29.4%. Inoculation also increased Cd bioavailability in rhizosphere soil by 12.0% and Cd removal efficiency by 139.3%. The biochemical mechanisms included enhanced bacterial diversity, transformed microbial community composition, regulated amounts of amino acids, fatty acids, carbohydrates, flavonoids and phenols in rhizosphere soil metabolites, and modulations of the corresponding Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. These responses were beneficial to microbial activity, nutrient cycling, and Cd mobilization, detoxification, and decontamination by alfalfa in soil. This study, especially the newly identified differential metabolites and metabolic pathways, provides new insights into mechanism revelation and strategy development in microbe-assisted phytomanagement of heavy metal-contaminated soils.

The adaptation measures of agricultural crops to current climate change are also reflected at the level of land-use planning for species with resistance to rainfall shortages and periods of prolonged droughts. The present paper aimed at the spatial modeling of land favorability for alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) within Bihor county, which is located in Northwest Romania. This was performed by using GIS spatial analysis techniques, particularly the technique of rating agricultural plots by using as a modeling basis the synthetic climate indicators, soil indices, as well as topographic characteristics, which are considered relevant for the studied species. As a result of the modeling process, agricultural plots that are favorable for the alfalfa culture were identified. A comparative analysis of the profit was also carried out both for the green and dry masses of eight types of alfalfa, which are suitable for the national environmental conditions. Land favorability modeling for alfalfa cultivation will be carried out by using GIS spatial analysis techniques, which allow the use of large databases while maintaining the necessary degree of detail, and they make possible the correlations between factors and production estimated per hectare, which are correlations that are characteristic for the environmental factors. Thus, for the studied territory, the best green alfalfa production was identified as being obtained from the Carinca and Daniela varieties, whereas the Mihaela and Teodora varieties were noticed to provide the best dry alfalfa production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medicago sativa L. (alfalfa) are studied as potential phytoremediation agents of priority pollutants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). However, elucidation of the biochemical mechanisms involved in phytoremediation is a topic to be explored with knowledge gaps. This study aims to identify and classify proteins expressed in the aerial parts of laboratory-cultivated alfalfa in the presence and absence of pyrene, anthracene, and phenanthrene. Soil samples were amended with 100 mg.kg−1 of each PAH (total concentration of 300 ppm) and cultivated with alfalfa plants for 20 days. After this, aerial parts of cultivated plants from each condition were collected for qualitative proteomic analysis (ESI-Q/TOF). The results showed a significant increase (Student's t-test p < 0.05) of 41.7% in the concentration of proteins from plants grown in PAH-amended substrates, changes in the protein profile, with intense protein bands observed at 40–55, 34, 28, and 15 kDa when compared to the control. A total of 504 proteins were identified and classified into 12 functional categories, highlighting the identification of 11 phytoremediation-related proteins candidates in plants grown in the presence of PAH, with biological functions related to diverse metabolisms involved in the xenobiotics biodegradation (included PAH), glutathione and response to stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medicago sativa L. (alfalfa) is a perennial leguminous forage crop cultivated worldwide. Unique water-soaked brown spots surrounded by yellow haloes were reported extensively on leaves of alfalfa crop from the farmer fields of Hafizabad and Bahawalpur districts in 2018. Olive gray colonies of a fungus, isolated with 95% frequency from the symptomatic tissues, were identified as Curvularia sp. based on morphocultural characteristics. Thus, representative Curvularia isolate "FMB-ALF2-MS" was subjected to molecular analysis to validate its phylogeny. Four genetic regions, ITS, LSU, TEF1-α, and GAPDH, were directly sequenced. BLASTn search showed 100% homology to C. buchloes strain CBS 246.49. Phylogenetic analysis is also identified and congruent with this isolate as C. buchloes with 100% bootstrap support. Four repeated pathogenicity tests were carried out with C. buchloes, and the etiology of the leaf spots was determined. To our best knowledge, this is the first report of C. buchloes causing leaf spots on alfalfa from Pakistan. The new and emerging foliar disease's occurrence and intensity were documented across the Punjab province during 2018–2019. The highest D.I (57%) with an average D.S of 78.5% was recorded from the Bahawalpur district. Eight different (four contact and four systemic) fungicides were tested against the pathogen under in vitro conditions at 50, 100, 150, and 200 ppm concentration. Among all the tested fungicides, maximum inhibition (95%) was recorded through mancozeb (contact fungicide), followed by 92% pathogen growth inhibition through propiconazole (systemic fungicide) at 200 ppm. Characterized pathogenic fungal isolate was deposited to the Culture Collection (FMB-CC-UAF) with accession number FMB0177. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lucerne seeds (Medicago sativa L.) were germinated at different time-temperature regimes (24, 28, and 32 °C for 24, 48, and 72 h). The effect of germination was evaluated on physicochemical properties, techno-functional characteristics, antinutrients, bioactive constituents, antioxidant activity, and mineral profile of lucerne seeds to ascertain the best time-temperature regime for the germination. High germination capacity was observed in seeds germinated at 28 and 32 °C in comparison to 24 °C, however, lower germination losses were manifested at 28 °C. Time-temperature regime of 28 °C for 48 h was most effective for the germination of lucerne seeds. Germination at aforesaid conditions improved hydration properties, foaming capacity, and gelation ascribed to protein denaturation reflected as a change in the α-helix and β-sheets in ATR-FTIR spectra of germinated flours. Furthermore, reduction in tannins (32.91%), lectin (100%), and trypsin inhibitor activity (67.42%) were observed. Increased DPPH∙ RSA (6.90%), ABTS∙+ RSA (10.51%), metal chelating activity (14.64%), and zinc concentration were also manifested with germinated flour. The optimal balance of techno-functionality, reduced antinutrients, and high antioxidant capacity of germinated flour (28 °C for 48 h) was validated using Principle Component Analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forage quality determined mainly by protein content and fiber composition has a crucial influence on digestibility and nutrition intake for animal feeding. To explore the genetic basis of quality traits, we conducted QTL mapping based on the phenotypic data of crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and lignin of an F1 alfalfa population generated by crossing of two alfalfa parents with significant difference in quality. In total, 83 QTLs were identified with contribution to the phenotypic variation (PVE) ranging from 1.45 to 14.35%. Among them, 47 QTLs interacted significantly with environment and 12 QTLs were associated with more than one trait. Epistatic effect was also detected for 73 pairs of QTLs with PVE of 1.08–14.06%. The results suggested that the inheritance of quality-related traits was jointly affected by additive, epistasis and environment. In addition, 83.33% of the co-localized QTLs were shared by ADF and NDF with the same genetic direction, while the additive effect of crude protein-associated QTLs was opposite to that fiber composition on the same locus, suggesting that the loci may antagonistically contribute to protein content and fiber composition. Further analysis of a QTL related to all the three traits of fiber composition (qNDF1C, qADF1C-2, and qlignin1C-2) showed that five candidate genes were homologs of cellulose synthase-like protein A1 in Medicago truncatula, indicating the potential role in fiber synthesis. For the protein-associated loci we identified, qCP4C-1 was located in the shortest region (chr 4.3 39.3–39.4 Mb), and two of the seven corresponding genes in this region were predicted to be E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase in protein metabolism. Therefore, our results provide some reliable regions significantly associated with alfalfa quality, and identification of the key genes would facilitate marker-assisted selection for favorable alleles in breeding program of alfalfa quality improvement.

There is a growing consensus on soil conservation by mechanics of plant root system. In order to further study how root system exerts its mechanical properties during soil reinforcing process and which morphological indicator is suitable for reflecting pullout resistance, in-situ vertical pullout test (VPT) and 45° oblique pullout test (OPT) were performed on alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) roots in the loess area. The results showed that the failure mode of alfalfa roots was pulling out in this study. The peak pullout resistance of the roots increased with root diameter, root length and root surface area, and power law relationships were observed between the pullout resistance and the morphological indices: root diameter, root length and root surface area. The maximum gray relational degree of the morphological indices was 0.841 (VPT) and 0.849 (OPT) for root surface area, suggesting that root surface area was a more significant root morphological index affecting root pullout resistance than root diameter and root length, and was more suitable for characterizing the difference in peak pullout resistance of roots with different size. The index could be used to validate the methods for predicting root pullout capacity. The value of peak pullout resistance was 17.2 ± 2.3 N in VPT test and 28.2 ± 3.8 N (mean ± SE) in OPT test, and a significant difference was observed between the two tests, which showed that the pulling direction significantly affected the peak pullout resistance of alfalfa roots. Vertical pullout test, giving the safety margin, was suggested to determine root pullout resistance for estimate of root reinforcement.

The nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) gene family is an important transcription factor family consisting of three subfamilies, NF-YA, NF-YB and NF-YC, which are widely involved in plant growth and development, stress responses and other processes. In this study, we identified 64 members of the NF-Y gene family in the M. sativa L. (Xinjiang Daye) genome, including 11 MsNF-YAs, 33 MsNF-YBs and 20 MsNF-YCs. Analysis of conserved motifs indicated that each unit included unique compounds of motifs, although certain members lost some motifs. Conserved functional domain analysis showed that each subunit contained a specific set of functional domains. Analysis of cis-acting elements in the promoter region of the MsNF-Y genes identified a series of cis-acting elements associated with stress responses. In addition, the transcriptome data and qRT-PCR analysis showed that MsNF-Y genes were significantly induced or downregulated by alkali treatment. The results of this study may help to establish a basis for further cloning and functional studies of NF-Y genes in Medicago sativa and other related legume species.

There is a growing consensus on soil conservation by mechanics of plant root system. In order to further study how root system exerts its mechanical properties during soil reinforcing process and which morphological indicator is suitable for reflecting pullout resistance, in-situ vertical pullout test (VPT) and 45° oblique pullout test (OPT) were performed on alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) roots in the loess area. The results showed that the failure mode of alfalfa roots was pulling out in this study. The peak pullout resistance of the roots increased with root diameter, root length and root surface area, and power law relationships were observed between the pullout resistance and the morphological indices: root diameter, root length and root surface area. The maximum gray relational degree of the morphological indices was 0.841 (VPT) and 0.849 (OPT) for root surface area, suggesting that root surface area was a more significant root morphological index affecting root pullout resistance than root diameter and root length, and was more suitable for characterizing the difference in peak pullout resistance of roots with different size. The index could be used to validate the methods for predicting root pullout capacity. The value of peak pullout resistance was 17.2 ± 2.3 N in VPT test and 28.2 ± 3.8 N (mean ± SE) in OPT test, and a significant difference was observed between the two tests, which showed that the pulling direction significantly affected the peak pullout resistance of alfalfa roots. Vertical pullout test, giving the safety margin, was suggested to determine root pullout resistance for estimate of root reinforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lutein and its isomerzeaxanthin are safe natural compounds. They are able to reduce the development of tumor and other chronic diseases. The objectives of the current study was to examine the cytotoxicity of lutein isolated and purified from alfalfa, safe and low-cost plant, on five different human cancer cell lines, namely (MCF-7), (HepG2), (A549), (PC3), and (HCT116), as well as normal (HFB4) cells. Method: We examined the cytotoxicity of lutein purified from Medicago sativa L and evaluate its activity against human liver HepG2, breast MCF-7, lung A549, prostate PC3, and colon HCT116 cancer cell lines using SRB assay in comparison with doxorubicin as a reference drug. Results: Results revealed that the tested extract could be a more promising anticancer agent in the case of MCF-7 (IC50, 3.10±0.47 µg/ml) compared with standard drug doxorubicin (IC50, 2.90±0.30 µg/ml). Moreover, the extract showed a moderate effect on HepG2 (IC50, 6.11±0.84 µg/ml) versus doxorubicin (IC50, 2.90±0.30 µg/ml); meanwhile, the extract showed no activity against A549, PC3, and HCT116 cells. The results further revealed that the extract had no toxicity against the growth of normal HFB4 cells versus doxorubicin. Conclusion: Lutein-rich extract from alfalfa had a major antiproliferative role in breast MCF-7 and liver HepG2 compared to doxorubicin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cultivation of alfalfa has an essential role in ensuring the required fodder, but the achievement of cropping performances e.g. proper yield, persistence, winter hardiness, competition capacity, ecological plasticity, depends on a multitude of technological, environmental, and genetic factors. The selection of suitable varieties for cultivation in pure stands or more perennial and productive mixtures with other perennial legumes and grasses is a key element for a successful crop. The objective of the study was to characterize the bio-productive and forage quality performances of 18 alfalfa varieties available for cultivation in Romania, originating from Romania and abroad, in the eco-climatic conditions specific to the Romanian Plain. The screening of these performances that substantiate the appreciation of the biological yield was based on detailed experiences in the field and laboratory. A set of representative indicators was selected for measurements, determinations, and observations, including growth rate, tillering, leaf-stem ratio, forage quality indicator, average crop yield, and canopy height. It was found that Romanian varieties presented improved ecological plasticity compared to the foreign varieties in the eco-climatic conditions of the experimental site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have previously reported on the detection of an unknown picorna-like virus in alfalfa samples. The exact host of the virus was unclear due to its similarity to the members of Iflaviridae family, which typically infect arthropods. The virus was provisionally named alfalfa-associated picorna-like virus 2. Here, we report a complete genomic sequence of the virus., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

In this work, the utilization of phosphogypsum (PG), a waste coming from the manufacture of phosphate fertilizers, as fertilizer for alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.) crops was investigated using pot experiments. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of both phosphogypsum and red mud (RM) in two soils representative of the pasture production area in Southern Spain. The morpho-physiological parameters of biomass, plant height, number of stems and number of leaves, as well as the chemical parameters of soil content, were measured. High doses of PG inhibited seed germination in some treatments. In addition, the treatment substrate (2550 g soil + 50 g kg -1  PG + 100 g kg -1  RM) also affected seed germination, possibly due to the large amount of RM. The application of PG and RM to the soil increased the availability of important nutrients for alfalfa, such as phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca 2+ ) and magnesium (Mg 2+ ). The results demonstrate that the treatment with PG significantly improved the uptake of P in alfalfa., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:Juan Pedro Bolivar reports administrative support was provided by 10.13039/501100005604University of Huelva. Bolivar reports a relationship with University of Huelva that includes: employment. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Objective: To determine the growth and productive performance curves, to obtain the optimal cutting moment in alfalfa, depending on the age of resprouting, in the Spring season. Design/methodology/approach: The treatments were cuts at different age of the plant and the variables evaluated: Dry Matter Yield (DMY) Botanical and Morphological composition (BMC), Plant Height (PH), Leaf/Stem Ratio (L/SR), and Intercepted Radiation (IR). The stastical analysis was with the PROC GLM procedure, of the SAS software, and the adjusted curves were obtained with the Curve Expert Professional 2.0 software. Results: There was an increase in the DMY, leaf, stem, PH, and IR, as the resprouting age advanced, but not, the L/SR which had an inverse behavior. The maximum DMY was obtained (4,768 kg DM ha-1) in week seven. There was a greater amount of leaf with average 52%, followed by the stem (36%), weeds (7%), detritus (4%) and inflorescence (1%). The PH was higher in week seven with 53 cm. Likewise, the highest IR in week tree with 86%. However, the L/SR was higher in week one with 2.4. The IR and L/SR presented the lowest R2 (0.90 and 0.93, respectively). In contrast, DMY and PH presented a positive relationship (R² of 0.98 and 0.97, respectively). Study Limitations/Implications: There were no limitations. Findings/Conclusions: The productive performance of Premium variety alfalfa was variable depending on the resprouting age, in which the botanical and morphological characteristics changed, with better characteristics in the fifth week. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although both sodium and chloride in high concentrations have toxic effects to plant growth, some plant species are more tolerant to Na+ stress than Cl− and vice versa. Until now, few studies compare the effects of separate and combined toxicities of Na+ and Cl− on nodulated leguminous plants. In this study, Na+-dominant, Cl−-dominant, and NaCl treatments were applied to two alfalfa cultivars with or without rhizobial inoculation. The results showed that high Na+ was more toxic than high Cl− to alfalfa growth. Shoot dry weight reduction was found in Na+ but not Cl−-dominant treatments, and the reduction in root dry weight was caused by the additive effect of Na+ and Cl− toxicities in uninoculated plants. Rhizobial inoculation significantly promoted plant growth by the improvement in both nitrogen nutrition status and root growth. At NaCl treatment, the promoted growth was also associated with the lower Cl− concentrations in the inoculated plants relative to the uninoculated plants. Additionally, rhizobial inoculation induced the differential expression of the salt-response genes, MsHSP81.2 and MsCLC1. In conclusion, the above results indicate that both Na+ and NaCl toxicities reduced alfalfa growth, and the reductions were greater under NaCl toxicity conditions and were mainly caused by the additive effects of Na+ and Cl− toxicities. Rhizobial symbiosis can alleviate separate and combined toxicities of Na+ and Cl− through enhanced nitrogen nutrition and root growth, the change of the accumulation and partitioning of K+ and Cl−, and accordingly the differential expression of some salt-response genes. The above results offer an economical measure in the future application of biofertilizers for alfalfa salt tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), also known as lucerne, is a major forage crop worldwide. In the United States, it has recently become the third most valuable field crop, with an estimated value of over $9.3 billion. Alfalfa is naturally infected by many different pathogens, including viruses, obligate parasites that reproduce only inside living host cells. Traditionally, viral infections of alfalfa have been considered by breeders, growers, producers and researchers to be diseases of limited importance, although they are widespread in all major cultivation areas. However, over the past few years, due to the rapid development of high-throughput sequencing (HTS), viral metagenomics, bioinformatics tools for interpreting massive amounts of HTS data and the increasing accessibility of public data repositories for transcriptomic discoveries, several emerging viruses of alfalfa with the potential to cause serious yield losses have been described. They include alfalfa leaf curl virus (family Geminiviridae), alfalfa dwarf virus (family Rhabdoviridae), alfalfa enamovirus 1 (family Luteoviridae), alfalfa virus S (family Alphaflexiviridae) and others. These discoveries have called into question the assumed low economic impact of viral diseases in alfalfa and further suggested their possible contribution to the severity of complex infections involving multiple pathogens. In this review, we will focus on viruses of alfalfa recently described in different laboratories on the basis of the above research methodologies.

The additive main effects and multiplicative interaction analysis was applied to assess the genotype × environment interaction (GEI) effects and stability for 4-year dry matter yield (DMY) of 16 alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cultivars of diversified geographic origin grown in four Algerian environments given by the combination of two water managements (rainfed and irrigated) and two evaluation sites, viz. the sub-humid location of Alger and the semi-arid, salinity-affected site of Hmadna. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant variation among cultivars and environments (P

Medicago sativa L. is an important source of functional foods and supplements, which can improve human health. The present work was carried out to search for potential antioxidants from M. sativa to treat neurodegeneration. Four new isoflavane glycosides (1–4) were isolated from M. sativa, along with seven known compounds (5–11). Their structures including absolute configurations were elucidated by multi-spectroscopic data analyses, chemical methods, and quantum chemical ECD calculations. The compounds (1–11) were tested for their antioxidant activity using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonicacid) (ABTS) and Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. All the isolated compounds displayed different degrees of antioxidant effects. Meanwhile, some isolates also possessed acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activities. A possible mechanism of interaction between the active compounds and AChE was also investigated by molecular docking studies. Furthermore, compounds (1–6 and 10–11) exhibited potent neuroprotective effects against H2O2-induced cellular damage in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells.

Lignite is still one of the main energy sources in many country. Its opencast exploitation causes a lot of changes in the environment. After mining activities are created new and enduring relief forms such as internal and external dumping ground. The dumps consist of rocks conglomerate lying above the exploited mineral. As a result of reclamation, soil develops of this specific material. The aim of this study was to assess chemical properties of soils developing in post-mining areas of the lignite basin in the Wielkopolska region. The study included analyses of the effect of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) grown with orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata L.) on chemical properties of soils in 3 mineral fertilisation variants (0NPK - control, 1NPK and 2NPK). The experiments showed that the analysed soils retained the alkaline reaction, calcium carbonate and available magnesium contents as well as CEC from the parent material. The analyses confirmed a significant effect of both Medicago sativa L. and mineral fertilisation on chemical properties of tested soils. Cultivation of Medicago sativa L. (in the 0NPK variant) caused a statistically significant increase in SOC, TN and CEC in the Ap topsoil horizons. Mineral fertilisation additionally enhanced the accumulation of SOC, TN, P2O5 and K2O as well as an increase in CEC value. It needs to be stressed that irrespective of the adopted fertilisation level the investigated soils were characterised by higher SOC, TN, CEC and available Mg contents compared to means values of these parameters reported in arable mineral soils in Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), also known as lucerne, is a major forage crop worldwide. In the United States, it has recently become the third most valuable field crop, with an estimated value of over $9.3 billion. Alfalfa is naturally infected by many different pathogens, including viruses, obligate parasites that reproduce only inside living host cells. Traditionally, viral infections of alfalfa have been considered by breeders, growers, producers and researchers to be diseases of limited importance, although they are widespread in all major cultivation areas. However, over the past few years, due to the rapid development of high-throughput sequencing (HTS), viral metagenomics, bioinformatics tools for interpreting massive amounts of HTS data and the increasing accessibility of public data repositories for transcriptomic discoveries, several emerging viruses of alfalfa with the potential to cause serious yield losses have been described. They include alfalfa leaf curl virus (family Geminiviridae), alfalfa dwarf virus (family Rhabdoviridae), alfalfa enamovirus 1 (family Luteoviridae), alfalfa virus S (family Alphaflexiviridae) and others. These discoveries have called into question the assumed low economic impact of viral diseases in alfalfa and further suggested their possible contribution to the severity of complex infections involving multiple pathogens. In this review, we will focus on viruses of alfalfa recently described in different laboratories on the basis of the above research methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biological fixation of nitrogen in soil is largely due to bacteria that establish symbiotic relationships with legumes, being very important to select and identify those with high environmental adaptation capacity typical of a certain region; in this sense, this research aimed to determine the phenotypic characteristics of Ensifer meliloti and Ensifer medicae (Rhizobiaceae) isolated from root nodules of Medicago sativa L. (Fabaceae) cultivated in agricultural areas of the Province of Trujillo in Perú, for which root nodules were collected from 60 plants of M. sativa L. from which 14 bacterial cultures were isolated on yeast mannitol agar (YMA) with Congo red, eight of them were phenotypically identified as E. meliloti and six as E. medicae; all grew in Luria Bertani (LB) medium, tolerated 2% NaCl, and used L-tryptophan, which allowed them to be differentiated from the species of the genus Rhizobium. On the other hand, the ability to use dulcitol, tolerance to 3% NaCl and resistance to nalidixic acid allowed to differentiate both Ensifer species. Furthermore, it was found that all isolated cultures showed qualitatively producing indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medicinal plants are traditionally used both in alternative and traditional medicine for the prevention of various degenerative diseases (cardiovascular, oncological, inflammatory, etc.). In pharmacology, medicinal raw materials are used due to the presence of active chemicals as agents for the synthesis of medicines. Medicago sativa L. is a promising source of valuable biologically active compounds. For the purpose of obtaining Medicago sativa L. extract the method of extraction with ethyl alcohol when heated with a reverse refrigerator is used in the study. In this paper, the parameters of extraction of the main groups of biologically active compounds (phenols, flavonoids, saponins) of the root culture Medicago sativa L. are considered and the antioxidant activity of the obtained extracts is determined. The extraction parameters were optimized according to the following criteria: extraction temperature (t = 40 °C), extractant concentration (C = 60 %), extraction exposure (T = 2 h). Extracts of Medicago sativa L. root culture obtained with these operating parameters have a maximum antioxidant activity of 31.83 ± 2.3 mm EAAT / g of dry weight, due to the content of phenolic compounds (19.34 ± 1.8 mg ha / g of dry weight), flavonoids (7.19 ± 0.9 mg R / g dry weight), saponins (4.89 ± 0.7 mg CA / g dry weight). The obtained results have suggested that the extract of the root culture Medicago sativa L. is a potential source of natural biologically active compounds for creating functional food products with a geroprotective orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Lucerne (Medicago sativa L.), as a grass legume is mowed many times in the Hexi Corridor, PR of China, which holds a vital position in the crop-pasture and animal husbandry. Cultivating high-quality lucerne under such extreme water shortage conditions is a necessary approach to develop regulated deficit irrigation (RDI). However, applications of Regulated Deficit Drip Irrigation (RDDI) needs to be explored further in order to increase both the yield and quality of lucerne. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of different regulated deficit irrigation on soil moisture (SM) dynamics, yield and quality of lucerne. A field experiment was designed with four deficit irrigation treatments in the year of 2013 and 2017. The lucerne was harvested three times per year. Our results showed that with deficit drip irrigation increasing, the yield was decreased for lucerne crop, crude protein (CP), and relative feed value (RFV), while, the content of CP and RFV was increased. SM was directly proportional to the amount of irrigation volume except high water deficit (HWD). Deep SM showed that annual lucerne SM was greater in HWD than in low water deficit (LWD). The biennial lucerne SM was greater in HWD than in each treatment in most cases. Considering the influence factors of yield, qualities and water use efficiency (WUEs (Including WUE, WUE CP and WUERFV)), it is more appropriate that annual lucerne should not be treated with deficit irrigation. In the following year, the LWD reduced the forage yield, but more or less increased the yield of CP (CPyield) and RFV (RFVyield) to compensate the loss of forage yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is an essential hay product and a protein-rich forage crop which grow in arid and semi arid regions of the world. In this study, to improve the germination properties of alfalfa seeds, which are sensitive to environmental conditions during germination and early seedling development was aimed. For this purpose, seeds of Nimet alfalfa variety were covered with seed coating preparation, named Panoramix and germinated under drought stress conditions. Panoramix was applied in two concentrations; zero (control), 2 liters 1000 kg of seeds- 1 and 4 liters 1000 kg of seeds-1. A laboratory germination experiment was conducted in randomized parcel design with 4 repetitions. Six different drought stress levels (0, -2, -4, -6, -8 ve -9.8 bar) were handled in this study and were used Polyethylene glycol-6000 (PEG-6000) to create of drought stress at different levels. Panoramix was applied in 3 doses, as 0 doses (control), 2 liters / 1000 kg seeds and 4 liters/1000 kg seeds respectively. 50 seeds was laid in each petri dish and placed in germination cabinet (70% humidity, 20 °C temperature 14 hours light (2000 lux) 10 hours darkness). A greenhouse emergence test was performed using plastic pots filled with a mixture 50% soil + 50% sand. Four different drought stresses [0 (T0), %25 (T1), %50 (T2), %75 (T3)] were applied to the pots. At the end of the both experiments, germination rate was calculated and the fresh and dry weight of the shoots and roots, length of shoots and roots were determined. The results indicated that the coating treatmens positive contributied to the germination properties of alfalfa seeds under drought stress conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]